


Future Ficlets

by ThatRavenclawBitch



Series: Future Fic [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2018-10-05 10:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10305260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatRavenclawBitch/pseuds/ThatRavenclawBitch
Summary: Tumblr prompt ficlets that take place in The Future's So Bright but aren't part of the main story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would you write a ficlet about the first few weeks of TFSB's Belle/Rumple's Gideon arrangement and how it felt for both of them?

“I should go,” Rumple said, standing from where they’d been perched on the couch for the past hour. Little Gideon was snuggled in his mother’s arms, an infant once more. 

“Where?” Belle had to ask. They’d just got their child back. She couldn’t imagine why Rumple would ever want to leave him.

“It’s late,” he said by way of explanation. “I figured you want some time alone with him.”

“He’s your son too,” she pointed out. “I can’t do this without you, Rumple. I wouldn’t want to.”

Rumple’s face was unreadable, his brow furrowed and his mouth in a firm line. 

“Don’t you want to be a part of our son’s life?” she prompted.

“Of course I do,” he assured her. “Belle, I want nothing more than that.”

Belle nodded. “Then be his father,” she said with a shrug, careful not to wake the sleeping baby. “Just because we couldn’t work ourselves out doesn’t mean our son has to suffer for it. A boy needs his father.”

Rumple looked torn for a minute, his eyes darting toward the doorway of her apartment.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked. “Even after everything?”

Belle closed her eyes briefly, shaking her head. 

“I want our son to have his very best chance,” she said. “And after everything you’ve done to save him in the past few weeks, I think that best chance is with you. Will you at least stay a little longer?”

Rumple nodded, settling back on the sofa, and rubbing his hand against Gideon’s downy little head. 

“I’ll stay as long as you need me.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now I need a divorce flashback with Rumple crying into his whiskey. Can we get a flashback to that at some point? Please?

He stared down at the still wet ink winking up at him from beside the brightly colored tab Belle had thoughtfully placed next to the dotted line. It seemed to mock him, the hot pink plastic arrow pointing to his failure. 

He sighed, blowing at his spindly scrawled signature to dry it before closing the envelope and sliding it across the counter. This was what Belle wanted. This was what was best. 

As if summoned by his thoughts, the bell above the shop door rang out and Belle entered with a smile. 

“Oh, great!” she said with her trademark bubbliness. “You signed them.”

“Yes,” he agreed, hardly trusting himself to say more than that single word. 

In truth, this didn’t change a thing. They’d been living separate and apart for over a year now. Gideon’s first birthday was just around the corner. They’d put this off long enough.

But as long as they were connected, no matter how tenuously, by an antiquated ritual performed beside a wishing well in the woods, he’d allowed himself to hope. Now their marriage was over, officially, and the death of that hope was hard to stomach. 

“I’ll get these to my attorney,” Belle said, snapping up the envelope and stuffing it in her handbag. That was it then. They were divorced. It was still a strange idea to him, that paperwork was even needed to end a marriage. Milah had never divorced him, just hightailed out of town on a pirate ship. It was almost easier that way, never seeing the person again, rather than seeing them every damned day and knowing you’d never get them back. 

Belle was still standing there, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet and looking at him expectantly. He wasn’t sure what more she wanted from him. 

“I think this is good,” she said finally. 

Rumple thought he could almost hear his heart shatter in his chest. He had no idea how Belle could face the dissolution of their marriage with so much pep. He knew she no longer loved him, not in any way that mattered, but didn’t she mourn just the slightest bit for what they’d once shared? He supposed he couldn’t blame her if she didn’t. Any woman would consider herself lucky to finally be free of the shackles of matrimony when their husband was Rumple-fucking-stiltskin. 

 _Ex-husband_ he reminded himself. 

“This doesn’t actually change anything,” Belle continued, the handle of her bag caught in a death grip as she kept up the infernal bouncing. “I mean, we’ll still see each other all the time and spend time with Gid together. It’s a formality more than anything.”

“Yes,” Rumple agreed, because what else could he say? That this was a travesty? That he was heartbroken and she should be as well? He couldn’t burden her with that. 

“I feel like we should do something,” she said suddenly. 

“Pardon me?” he asked, genuinely confused. 

“You know,” Belle said with a shrug. “To commemorate the occasion.”

Rumple arched an eyebrow, not quite sure he was hearing her correctly.

“You want to celebrate our divorce?”

“No,” Belle said, rolling her eyes. “But it’s a new start, you know? We’re moving forward, as friends.”

“Friends,” he repeated, a little dazedly. As if he would ever be satisfied with that. 

“You’re still my best friend, Rumple,” Belle said softly, finally still on her feet. He met her eyes briefly before glancing back down at the counter before him. “You’ve always been my best friend.”

Rumple just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He knew this was for the best, that a clean break was necessary for healing. But he wasn’t ready to celebrate. 

“Okay,” Belle said awkwardly. “I’ve got to get these to the lawyer before the office closes for the day. Are we still on for our picnic this weekend?”

Rumple nodded again. “Wouldn’t miss it.” 

Belle smiled, a little sadly, before turning to leave, the bell jingling once again on her exit. 

Rumple let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. That was that, then. He was a single man. 

He moved to the back of the shop, his motions slow and sluggish. It was a matter of moments to find the whisky bottle he kept there. It didn’t do much for him, but it did help dull his senses ever so slightly and he’d take what comfort he could get. 

He eyed the collection of cut crystal glasses on the back shelf before eschewing them to drink straight from the bottle. No use dirtying a glass when he intended to finish the thing. 

He sank down into a chair, propping the bottle on the desk in front of him and finally allowed the tears to fall. 

Across town, once Gideon was tucked up in bed for the night, Belle did the same.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous prompted: Rumple finally getting to watch one of his children be born and the emotions surrounding it considering he missed Bae & Gideon (takes place after the main story ends)

“Are you alright?” Belle asked as Rumple paced back and forth at the end of the hospital bed. It was a valid question. He was certain he looked a complete wreck and he hadn’t stopped pacing since they arrived at the hospital three hours ago.

He turned on his heel, his shoes squeaking on the linoleum flooring, to face her.

“How are you so calm?” he demanded. He was well aware his hair was standing on end. It was at an awkward length, growing out at Belle’s specific request and not quite prone to doing much of anything but stick out at awkward angles and curl around his ears in a way she insisted was “cute”.

Belle was leaned back in her hospital bed, her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail and looking completely at ease despite the myriad machines she was currently hooked up to. It was hard to believe she was in active labor.

Belle shrugged. “It’s not so bad,” she said. “Compared to last time this is a breeze. After your body goes from 12 weeks pregnant to baby in an hour’s time, counting the minutes between contractions is nothing.”

Rumple shook his head. He still felt guilty for the circumstances of Gideon’s birth, despite all the healing they’d done over the five years since. It was one of the happiest days of his life, the day his daughter would be born, and he was dwelling on the mistakes of the past and driven to distraction with fear that something would go wrong.

He could feel the magic itching at his fingertips, wanting to be released. Belle had completely banned magic from her delivery room insisting the doctors knew what they were doing and modern medicine would suffice, but it went against all his instincts to see her in any sort of pain.

Luckily the epidural seemed to be doing its job. Belle was relaxed, almost bored, as they awaited the arrival of their child.

“Can you get me some ice chips?” she asked and Rumple jumped at the chance to run an errand, anything to occupy his time. He had no idea labor took so long. Belle had given birth so quickly with Gideon that his son had been born and whisked away by that meddlesome gnat the Blue Fairy before he could get through the fairies’ defenses. Baelfire had been born while he was away at the front and Milah had never gone in to detail about the circumstances of his birth. He was now realizing he had very little idea of what childbirth actually entailed, despite his centuries long life. He’d been called on to many a birthing room in his time but he was usually called for after the main event, either to save the life of a baby or its mother, for a price. He’d never been there for the lead up before, the hours of contractions and checking dilation.

It was stressful.

And boring.

And there was nothing he could do to help other than fetch ice chips.

The trip down the hallway to the ice machine took Rumple past several delivery rooms. He could hear the muffled sound of TVs from some, crying babies in others, and one woman who seemed to be giving birth naturally and was screaming profanity at the top of her lungs. He hurried back to Belle’s room, thankful she’d decided to allow painkillers. She’d experienced natural childbirth with Gideon and had opted to go easier on herself the second time around.

When he arrived back at Belle’s room, Dr. Whale was crouched down at the end of the bed, checking on Belle beneath the blanket for her modesty.

“Ten centimeters,” Whale said, surfacing with a smile. “Alright, Mrs. Gold. It’s time to push.”

Belle’s eyes widened, finding Rumple in the doorway.

“Already?” she asked. “I’ve barely felt anything.”

“It’s time,” Whale said again.

All of a sudden there was a flurry of activity, nurses getting Belle into position, others wheeling in a tiny bed that looked more like a plastic tub, presumably for their daughter. Rumple felt frozen in the doorway, holding his cup of ice chips stupidly.

“Rumple,” came Belle’s voice from the bed. They had scooted her down, her legs propped up and Dr. Whale and an attendant at the ready. She sounded terrified.

Rumple all but ran to her side, dropping the ice chips in his hurry to grab on to her hand reassuringly.

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” he said, suddenly calm in the face of Belle’s fear. “I’m here now.”

Belle nodded, taking a deep breath before Whale instructed her to push. Her grip on Rumple’s hand was hard enough he was certain he heard his bones crack. After a moment, Whale told her to take a break and Belle fell back against the bed, red faced and panting.

“Now it hurts,” she said, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Rumple smoothed her hair back with his free hand, before cupping her cheek.

“You’re doing wonderfully,” he insisted, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You’re almost there.”

Then it was time to push again and Rumple poured all his focus in to supporting Belle. He wiped her brow, he held her hand, he helped the nurse pull her legs up in to the right position. After what felt like an eternity, an ear splitting wail cut through the room.

“It’s a girl!” Whale announced, taking the wriggly newborn and placing her straight on Belle’s chest. Rumple forgot to breathe. One moment she was inside Belle, a concept more than a person and now here she was, lying on her mother’s chest, bloody and pink and wrinkled, with a shock of brown hair matted down on her head. She was a whole person who hadn’t been there a moment before. 

Belle clutched the baby to her chest and everything else in the room seemed to disappear, the whole world centered on their little family.

“She’s perfect!” Belle cooed, her hand rubbing delicately against their daughter’s back. “She absolutely perfect.”

Rumple couldn’t agree more.

A moment later the nurses had taken the baby away to clean her up and swaddle her and then she was back on Belle’s chest.

“You did it,” Rumple said in awe. He’d never witnessed a woman give birth before. It was a miraculous thing. He’d never been more in love with Belle or more proud of her.

“You helped,” Belle insisted.

Rumple just snorted. He’d done nothing. She’d done all the hard work. “Nine months ago, maybe,” he quipped.

Belle gave him a look, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

“You were here,” she said. “That’s what’s important.”

“Thank you for letting me be here,” he said, unable to blink away the tears pooling in his eyes. He’d missed so much for both Bae and Gideon, but on the third try he’d finally got it right.

“None of that, now,” Belle said, squeezing his hand again, tears shining in her own eyes. “This is a happy day. No regrets.”

And how could Rumple regret anything that had led him to this moment? Watching his wife cradle their newborn daughter, his son a healthy young lad waiting at the Nolan’s until he was summoned to meet his new sister. He’d lost so much in his life, but he still had so much to live for.

“Would you like to hold her?” Belle asked.

Rumple just nodded. There was nothing he wanted more.


End file.
